Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-11-25

! lOlu lucH WOlluis S'SuWotoGSoo 4uilO
plainly.
One said that he lived with his
wife. three children and muther-in-
law in two rooms in an unwhole-
some tenement house, and earned S.
week in slop shop selling rotten
clothing to greenhorns.
Another said: Il started out in life
with the notion of being great au-
thor. am over 40 now, aud glad
to get Sc a week in book store |
have covered reams of paper and made
about $1,000 altogether in little sums,
but no one knows my name. | car
ried novel aud an epic from one pub
fishing house 10 another for 10 years,
and never could get any editor even
to read them. am trying to save a
little money now to get the poem pub
lished after nv death, with little
autobiography which may teach the
world what it has lost, ,and make peo-
pie sorry that they let such a man die
a miserable death after 80 disappoint-
ing lite."
"They say some people have forced
themselves on the public by the man
ner of their death, said wild. mel
apcholy looking man by the author g
side, land | think it would be worth
while to try such scene to make my
Romeo and Juliet SELL"
"You talk of death like a child"
said croaking voice across the table.
Here am /, IAN old woman, ouce Min
ME st Angel, the famous actress. but
none the less starving, brokend own
drudge now. Never despair while
you are young; it is only the old who
know what trouble is, To have been
some one and then fall to being no.
body, that is the hardest thing of all,
much harder than to have been un.
Known all your life"
well think it is harder for those
who have never had brief hour OF
success at all" said a thin woman
IL was the daughter OF theater hack
and was on the stage from child
But as grew up plain and not clever
l was used in all the common parts
and never knew what it was to have
an individuality. l have never had a
home, aud since my falher died have
neve. had friend Now ! am ward
robe woman In low theater, and
glad-yes, thankful-to have the
place, too"
"It is hard to work for no pay"
said rough voice opposite. II was
a soldier of Napoleon's as lad fought
in Algeria and in Russis;and because
| took part in some plot-they called
it revolutionary-I lost my little pen.
sion, and starved in consequence. |
ran away, and once here could find
nothing to do, aud am trying to beg
money enough to buy hand organ
and camp stool"
Near him sat prim old body in a
shiny black silk gown. She seemed
rather shocked by the mention of the
organ and stool, AID remarked that
as be was a man he could surely fnd
some work to do She went on to
say: Although | am only woman
[ set to work at once as soon as our
fortune was gone. | got a teachers
place in a school, aud ever since /
have taught and supported myself
But it is very hard for lady tender.
ly brought up, and not taught very
thoroughly-as people were not in
my day-to mix with common folks
and be knocked about in the world
Ny father was rich man and gen
tleman, and we have good blood in
our veins for many generations back
long before our family ever crossed
the ocean. Our name is known ir
the history of the country, aud there
was never one bearing it who dis
graced it,"
"a good pedigree is fine thing i
it be genuine" said crippled mar
near the old lady. "But if | had it
and could exchange 1t for a straight
back and sound limbs, l would gladly
, give it up Yet | believe | am hap
pier than most of you here l Sc
, out to get one thing and got it, though
it brought little else with it. l was
, poor mans son and had no family
, to boast of. and the one thing I want
ed was learning, As | was a Grip
pie and good for nothing to work,
got books from kind neighbors an6
} taught myself sitting by the kitcher
FIRE in winter and on the doorstep il
summer. Sometimes got to school
t when l bad clothes good enough tt
wear, and at last, through the com
passion of neighbors, to college. Blu
. | grew more infirm rs | reached man
hood, and, indeed, but for this
, should have no right to be here
: among you. / have earned my live
J lihood teaching other young men
and so l jog on and my books
and though my meals often consis
of bread and milk. L am not unhappy
l said would give noble blood in
exchange for good health and strong
sound limbs; but would not give
my books for health or good blood
nor even health alone for long pedi
gree"
The host smiled at US and said
"There is the man who is really mon
arch of all he surveys"
1t was saddening to turn from the
, cripple to the others Many of them
were equally gifted intellectually. yet
t they had never attained his content
ment with his lot
, A man in rough jacket. with f
careless air, which was c0ntradicteC
! by bis face. said:
''WelI, fancy l have had wider
. experience than any of you. if change
of employment gives experience
f There are few things | have not tri
ed, but never succeeded in any.
: have been an errand boy, plo~ boy
peddler, miner, an engineer and
an expressman. | have written dis
NAL trash TO sell to the vilely cheap
and mean papers. l have taught
grown men to read in exchange for 6
crust of bread. | have distributed
advertisements at street corners; and
now am just where [ started.
have no home. l left my last board
ing place without ps yiug, but left my
only good coat behind instead. |
slept last night in a car Copot. aud